1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a latch type optical communication module, and more particularly, to a latch type optical communication module, designed to be easily mounted to and detached from cage of a system port by means of a latch.
2. Description of the Related Art
According to a conventional technology for mounting and detaching an optical communication module from a system port, when mounting the optical communication module to the system port, a triangular fixing tap on the bottom of a conventional Small Form-factor Plug-in (SFP) module is inserted into a triangular fixing groove of a cage provided to the system port, and when detaching the optical communication module from the system port, the optical communication module is generally detached from the system port by use of a hand or an additional means.
However, with such a conventional technology, if several optical communication modules are densely connected to the system port, one of the optical communication modules contacts adjacent optical communication modules upon detachment of the optical communication module, thereby providing an influence on the characteristics of the other optical communication modules.
In this regard, problems of the conventional technology will be described in detail with reference to a conventional plug-in optical transceiver module shown in FIGS. 5 to 7.
FIG. 5 shows a conventional plug-in optical transceiver module according to a conventional release mechanism.
Referring to FIG. 5, the conventional plug-in optical transceiver module has a certain release member A20 mounted thereon. The release member A20 is fitted into a slit A18 formed from a front surface A14 of the optical transceiver module into the optical transceiver module, and slides along the slit A 18 with some portion of the release member A20 exposed on one surface A11 of the optical transceiver module.
However, in the case of the conventional plug-in optical transceiver module having the release member A20, it can be removed from a receptacle 30 (shown in FIG. 7) of a host apparatus by pulling lateral sides A12 of the optical transceiver module, each having a uneven grip surface A12a formed thereon, while forcing a certain tool into a recess A22 or A24 of the release member A20.
In the construction of the conventional plug-in optical transceiver module shown in FIG. 5, there are problems in that not only is it uncomfortable to detach the optical transceiver module from the receptacle 30 of the host apparatus, but it is also difficult to detach the optical transceiver module therefrom without the tool.
Accordingly, the plug-in optical transceiver module shown in FIG. 5 requires a driver in order to detach the optical transceiver module from the host apparatus, thereby providing drawbacks of increasing installation time and costs of an optical communication apparatus as well as maintenance time and costs thereof.
FIG. 6 shows another conventional plug-in optical transceiver module having a rotational lever, which is suggested to solve the above described problems of the conventional plug-in optical transceiver module.
Referring to FIG. 6, the plug-in optical transceiver module having the rotational lever has a rotational lever P50 hingeably coupled to a front side of the optical transceiver module P10 by means of a hinge P51. A receptacle P12 has a base P24, side contacts P20, and a folded portion P26 defined in part by slots, of which slit P28 is most visible, and having a lip P30. Accordingly, when detaching the optical transceiver module having the rotational lever from the host apparatus, the rotational lever P50 is rotated in the counterclockwise direction from a lower side to an upper side of the optical transceiver module, and then a wedge P36 is moved under the folded portion P26 of the receptacle P12 by a sliding member P35, causing a fixing tap P32 of the optical transceiver module to retract from a slot P22, and allow the optical transceiver module to be removed with a hand.
However, the plug-in optical transceiver module having the rotational lever shown in FIG. 6 has a drawback in that a plurality of components must be assembled to the optical transceiver module, as shown in FIG. 6, in order to achieving the above described release mechanism.
Specifically, the conventional plug-in optical transceiver module having the rotational lever comprises the plurality of components, such as the wedge P36, a base member supporting the wedge P36, a flexible member for connecting the base member and the lever P50 in a stretchable fashion, a shaft connected to the flexible member, and the rotational lever P50 integrally formed to the shaft.
Accordingly, since the conventional plug-in optical transceiver module shown in FIG. 6 comprises the plurality of components for the release structure, there are drawbacks not only of difficulty in manufacturing the optical transceiver module, but also of an increase in manufacturing costs and component costs thereof.
FIG. 7 shows still another conventional plug-in optical transceiver module having a release member, which is suggested to solve the problems of the conventional plug-in optical transceiver module shown in FIGS. 5 and 6.
Referring to FIG. 7, another conventional plug-in optical transceiver module 100 having the release member is shown which plugs into a receptacle 30. The receptacle 30 has contacts 31 and a base plate 32 having an elastic member 34 defined in part by slots, of which slit 35 is one. The transceiver module 100 has a first surface 11 with a wedge 22, and a wing 26, an open end 11b, a lateral side 12, and a front side 14 with a slit 18 and ports 19a and 19b. 
When the optical transceiver module 100 is inserted into the receptacle 30, a fixing tap 16 on the first surface 11 of the optical transceiver module 100 slides under a lip 38 of an elastic member 34. The fixing tap 16 has a slant surface 17 in order to allow the optical transceiver module 100 to be more smoothly slid under the lip 38. Furthermore, the fixing tap 16 and a slot 36 have a triangular shape, and a size for tightly fixing the fixing tap 16 and the slot 36 to each other, whereby the optical transceiver module 100 can be tightly fixed to the receptacle 30.
On the contrary, when detaching the optical transceiver module 100 from the receptacle 30, a release member 20 is advanced in the longitudinal direction of the optical transceiver module 100, thereby allowing a wedge 22 having a slant surface to slide under the lip 38 of the elastic member 34. Then, the fixing tap 16 is retracted from the slot 36 by virtue of an operation of the wedge 22. In this state, as grips 26a and other grips 12a of a wing 26 are pulled backward, the optical transceiver module 100 is removed from the receptacle 30.
However, the conventional optical transceiver module 100 shown in FIG. 7 also has a drawback in that it has influences on the adjacent module in achieving the above described release mechanism.
That is, the conventional optical transceiver module 100 shown in FIG. 7 has the similar construction to that of the convention optical module as shown in FIG. 5, and are densely connected to the system port, thereby providing the influences on the characteristics of the optical communication module.
As described above, the conventional optical transceiver modules shown in FIGS. 5 to 7 have the problems in that it is necessary to provide a certain tool when detaching the optical transceiver module from the host apparatus, the plurality of components used in the optical transceiver module causes the manufacturing thereof to be difficult and increases the manufacturing costs thereof, and in that negative influences are applied against the adjacent modules upon mounting and detaching the optical transceiver module.